Neil Harbisson is World first Cyborg as Colour Artist

From Prosthesis to pharmaceuticals, humans use technology to change their physical and mental capabilities for thousands of years. Now, with our rapid advances in technology, some people embrace human growth as a way of expressing themselves and experiencing the world in a completely different way as Neil Harbisson.

Neil Harbisson in 33, is one of these people. The artist was born with blindness or full color blindness. Apart from disability, Neil Harbisson considers his natural view of the world to be a source of profit, although he wanted to be able to understand the different dimensions of view. (Read “How humans shape our own evolution.”)

Over the last 13 years, he has been able to “hear” visible and invisible wavelengths of light. An antenna-like sensor implanted in his head translates different wavelengths into vibrations on his skull, which he then perceives as sound Neil Harbisson.

Often called the world’s first official cyborg, after the British government permitted him to wear his headgear in his passport photo, Neil Harbisson says that such technological augmentation is a natural, and maybe even necessary, strategy for humans to adapt to an uncertain future.

Why create this meaning for yourself?

My goal was never to overcome anything. Gray vision has many advantages. I have a better night vision. I save shapes more easily, and I do not easily fool camouflage. Black and white photography is cheaper. I did not feel there was a physical problem, and I never wanted to change my sight. I wanted to create a new device to see it.

What are the most memorable questions you get from people around your antenna?

I do not get any specific questions, but what people think is that the antenna changes over time. In 2004, people thought it was light reading. They ask me if I can run them. In 2007, the phone was free, then in 2008 and 2009, it was a camera from GoPro. In 2015, many children thought it was a type of extensible silvite stick. Last year, people began shouting “Pokemon!” In my face. In a small village in Italy, an old man asked me if I could do cappuccino with him.